


The Beauty of Lies

by sparrowinsky



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-25
Updated: 2011-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-28 03:24:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/303206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrowinsky/pseuds/sparrowinsky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No man is born a cynic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beauty of Lies

When Sandor was young, a mere boy, before fire ruined his face and future-- before eveything, he'd dreamt of knighthood.

The dreams soured as harshly as wine left too long in the sun when his face was half a ruin. Yet even then, tucked deep inside and far from Gregor's eyes, hope lingered. A mere ember, perhaps. He'd never take knighthood, not now, but perhaps a wife--

The scars ran deeper than skin, but perhaps, if the gods were kind and the songs were true, a woman-- not even a lady, he'd settle for any lowborn girl so long as she loved him-- might see past the ugly man and love the broken boy.

Hope dies hard, he'd once been told. He learned that lesson well. A boy became a man at the winner's end of the blade, and the man learned within the year to let the whores look away. It was kinder than forcing his face upon them.

When he told a little bird how deeply songs lied, Sandor Clegane spoke a truth he'd learned firsthand.


End file.
